When I moved from the mainland to Kauai, I needed to find new resources to assist me. I didn’t listen to broadcast ads or read a newspaper. I went online and searched for information. In the process of searching for information, I formed impressions of service providers based on what I was learning from them. I also was looking for providers who had simple, well laid out web sites, with up to date information. Not only did I search the worldwide web, I also searched on Facebook for local businesses. I “liked” some that I found interesting. I signed up for email newsletters. I read blogs and learned a great deal that influenced how I planned my move and possible vendors for me to contact that would fit my needs.

It’s a new world for marketing your business. Consumer and business behavior is evolving to be much more like my personal experience above. Will your potential customers find you and be compelled to engage with you? Will your online, digital content show up high in their searches? Will your existing customers feel that they have an ongoing relationship with you, recommend you to others, and do more business with you over time?

If you are presenting no online information or stale, out of date information, I would not probably contact you. I would look to your competitors who provide me with information and insight and who show they want to have an ongoing relationship.

If you already have a Web site for your business, that’s great. Is it easy to find information? Is it regularly updated? Do you have a blog that provides background, context, information, and insight? Are you educating your audience, not just selling to them? It’s a new model of marketing that goes by different names such as online marketing, digital marketing, and inbound marketing. It’s not just a technology project. It’s a new way of engaging prospects and customers for your unique business.